If you’ve spent the past couple of months cursing at your Pixel’s oft-unresponsive back button, you’re not alone – but you can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Google’s latest August update for Pixel phones not only rolls out security patches to protect your phone from hackers, but also finally fixes the notorious navigation bug that has plagued users since Android 16 rolled out in June.
A bug that broke the basics
When Android 16 landed back in June, Pixel owners were the first to enjoy the update – one of the key perks of opting for a Pixel-branded smartphone. Instead, many found themselves locked out of one of the most fundamental features of the Android experience: the ability to go back a step.
As we reported back in June, the bug would randomly render the back gesture or the button completely unresponsive, sometimes for over 30 seconds at a time. For some, even the Home button would stop working, leaving users to reboot their phones just to regain control.
This isn’t a minor convenience either; with most modern Android apps ditching built-in back buttons for the native alternative, the bug left users stuck in apps unable to go back to previous menus or the home screen. Reports flooded Reddit and X, with frustrated Pixel owners and others sharing the video in action.
The problem wasn’t universal – some devices, like the Pixel 9, seemed unaffected – but for those that it hit, it was undoubtedly a dealbreaker.
A long wait for a simple fix
To be fair, Google acknowledged the bug pretty quickly, but the wait for a fix dragged on for literal months.
Beta testers got relief from the bug in late June, but those on the stable release – i.e. the majority of Pixel owners – were left waiting through July, with each security update failing to properly address the issue. For a company that usually prides itself on its timely Android updates and a stress-free user experience, it’s a hard pill to swallow.
Now, with the August 2025 update, Google has finally delivered the promised fix to all. The release notes confirm that the back button and gesture navigation bugs have been squashed, alongside a fix for scheduled dark theme and some general performance improvements.
If you’re yet to install the update, head to Settings > System > Software updates and tap ‘Check for Updates’ to get started.
If anything, this is a reminder that even the most mature platforms can stumble on the fundamentals of the smartphone experience, and that early access to the latest major software updates isn’t always the blessing it seems.
